Hangers of the type involved herein usually comprise a transverse support arm which mounts a pair of spaced clamps. Each clamp includes a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, whereby a free edge of a clothing article to be supported by the hanger is inserted between the stationery and movable jaws, with the movable jaw being brought into confrontation with the stationery jaw.
In order to maintain the clamping jaws biased toward each other, with the clothing article therebetween, it is necessary to provide some kind of locking device. Such locking device is usually "U"-shaped, having a base and a pair of legs extending from opposite ends of the base. The locking device is placed over the clamp so that the legs of the locking device engage the outer sides of the clamping jaws. The legs of the locking device are normally spaced from each other a distance which is slightly less than the distance between the outer sides of the clamping jaws when biased towards each other. Accordingly, the placing of the locking device over the clamp causes the legs to flex and produce an opposite counter-force which biases the clamp jaws toward each other, so as to retain the article of clothing on the hanger. The locking device is usually resilient so that when removed from engagement with the clamp, the legs thereof are restored to their original unflexed condition.
In accordance with the prior art, the clamps are designed so as to be connected to the transverse support arm of the hanger by web means in a way which permits the entire plastic hanger assembly, including the jaws, to be molded in one piece. However, the locking members which are mounted so as to straddle the two clamping jaws and urge them into biasing engagement with each other to retain the garment in position on the hanger, are separate elements which, in the prior art, do not form part of the one piece molded plastic hanger. The prior art is best exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,607.
In accordance with the prior art, the locking member is separate and unattached to the rest of the hanger, since the locking member would not be able to function in its intended manner unless it is free to move, and this was believed to be inconsistent with the one piece molded operation. As a result of the inability in the prior art to mold the locking device as part of a one piece plastic molded unit which is used to manufacture the hanger, these locking devices had to be manufactured separately from the hanger with which they are intended to be associated. This creates severe problems in that it becomes time consuming to establish and follow procedures in order to insure that the intended locking device is matched with the intended hanger. Furthermore, the locking device, being separate and distinct from the hanger proper, can easily be lost or separated from the associated hanger, causing severe inconvenience and great economic hardship. Furthermore, it is apparent that the locking device is an essential part of the hanger, as the absence of the locking device makes the hanger totally unusable, since the two clamping jaws would not be biased in confronting manner making it impossible to retain an article of clothing between the two clamping jaws. This is the most serious of all problems with the prior art procedure, as it renders a substantially complete hanger (missing only the locking device) totally useless to the customer. In fact, the mere misplacement of only one of two locking devices is sufficient to render an otherwise perfect hanger totally worthless.